SOARing through the Week at JFK
December 6, 2024
Hello, JFK Families!
This week I would like to highlight a new component of foundational literacy this year called “UFLI.” UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) is an explicit and systematic approach to teaching foundational skills necessary for students to be proficient readers. By primarily focusing on phonics, the relationship between letters and sounds, UFLI allows our younger students to learn the building blocks of reading to increase fluency and comprehension. Parents, I encourage you to ask your child about what they have been working on in UFLI. If you have questions or are looking for ways to support your child’s literacy development at home, please reach out to your classroom teacher.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership, JFK families! Remember to take care of yourself, our community and most of all BE KIND!
In partnership,
Amy E. Rizzo
Amy E. Rizzo, Principal
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @JFKPrincipalRIz
Important Dates:
December 11th- Early Dismissal for Students (Staff Professional Learning)
December 16th - 20th - Winter Spirit Week ❄️
December 16-18th- JFK PTO Holiday Store ☃️
December 18th - 5th Grade DARE Graduation (More details on page 2)
December 19th- JFK Chorus Concert (4th & 5th Grades @ Parsons 6:30pm)
December 23rd-January 1st- Winter Recess- No School
January 2, 2025- School is back in session
**We will also hold a fire drill before the winter break.
📷A Glimpse at the Week:
Click here to view pictures of some of the HAWK-SOME learning and events that happened at JFK this week!
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DARE Graduation: On Wednesday, December 18th at 2pm, 5th-grade families are invited to attend an in-school graduation event to celebrate our 5th graders' completion of the DARE Program.
Please note there is a maximum of 2 guests per student.
Kindly complete this form by Monday, December 9th.
If you wish to take your 5th grader home after graduation, please complete this separate form which will serve as your written notice to school.
Winter Traditions
Winter officially begins on December 21, 2024, and ends on March 20, 2025. There are MANY winter holidays and events from December to March. We want to learn more about our JFK family traditions!
All JFK families are invited to share a winter tradition or winter holiday tradition with our school community by completing this Google Slide template. The template includes a space for your family name, a picture, and a brief description of your family tradition. Families are welcome to submit more than one slide.
Slides can be returned as soon as they are completed. Share your slide(s) with Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org) or print your slide at home and return it to the Main Office. Hard copies can be sent home by request. Please contact your classroom teacher or Mrs. Koosa if you have any questions.
Slides will be displayed in our school hallway for our community to see throughout the winter season.
Specialist Spotlight -Media with Mrs. Soder
Hello JFK Families, I hope everybody had a restful and joyful Thanksgiving. As we turn the corner from the long weekend and begin the countdown to the holiday break, I am thrilled to share some exciting news from our Library Media Center! Every single student at JFK is coding! We have a budding group of future computer scientists, and it's been inspiring to see their enthusiasm and creativity. We use both robots and chromebooks to further our learning.
Robots in Action:
BeeBots: Students code these by pushing buttons.
Ozobots: These follow color-coded commands.
Dash Robots: Operate using block language.
Chromebook Adventures:
Younger Students: Engaging with the app Kodable.
Older Students: Exploring the website Code.org.
Our lessons are designed to be self-paced, so your JFK student might be spending some of their free time continuing their learning at home. As they tackle some of the "Hour of Code" projects, you will be amazed by some of their creations!
Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything. You can contact me at ksoder@milforded.org.
Reminders!
Return Library Books
Please return any JFK library books your student has finished reading. We have many popular books checked out that other students are waiting to read!
Milford Public Schools policy is “No Food” for Celebrations.
Just a friendly reminder that Milford Public Schools has a no-food policy for special celebrations or classroom events. For the safety of our children, we ask that everyone adheres to this policy. More information on the district’s policy can be found HERE.
Please label your child’s sweatshirts, jackets, lunch bag, and water bottles. Our Lost and Found continues to grow! Please review the pictures and email Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org) or your child’s classroom teacher if any of these items belong to your family.
Fire Drill: Conducting emergency drills (fire, crisis, lockdown, etc.) is one of the most important ways we enhance our preparedness for students and staff during an emergency. Drills allow us to practice what we need to do when an emergency arises in our school.
JFK School will be conducting a fire drill next week (weather permitting) or the week of December 16th. This will only be a drill and will be conducted in accordance with the School Incident Management Protocols established by the district and in collaboration with our local first responders. Please discuss the importance of our emergency drills with your children. If you have any feedback please reach out to Mrs. Rizzo (arizzo@milforded.org) or Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org ). We thank you for your cooperation and partnership in making our schools a safer place for learning.
Hawks SOAR Awards - Our JFK Hawks SOAR award is designed to recognize student and staff behaviors and actions that enhance our school community and those individuals who exemplify citizenship within this community beyond the expected norms. When your child comes home with a sticker, please ask them how they SOARED that day!
Attendance Reminder
A reminder that absences should be reported in PowerSchool.
Click HERE for instructions on how to report absences. Be sure to update the date on the top of the form each time you fill it out.
Arrival and Dismissal Information -
Please do not leave students unattended at the school prior to 8:20 am.
Please note that our Walker Pick Up should be utilized for families who are walking to the building. If you are driving to JFK to pick up your child, please use our car pick up procedure. Families of students who are being dismissed as walkers should not be parking in our parking lot and then picking up at the walker door. Doing this interferes with the flow of traffic in our car pick up line. Thank you for adhering to our dismissal procedures.
Parents, please be sure to drive slowly and safely through our parking lot at drop off and pick up times. We understand that mornings can be hectic getting students off to school and adults off to work, but please drive slowly and with caution on our school grounds.
If you are dropping off your child please pull all the way forward in line and remain in the car for safety. If you wish to get out of the car, please park in a designated parking spot and walk your child to the parking lot crosswalk. Mr. Kee will assist your child in crossing safely.
Dismissal Car Tags should be placed on your dashboard/mirror when lining up for pick up. We ask that you please do not line up in the parking lot prior to 3pm.
❤️🩹News from the Nurse
MPS Health Department Guidelines
Hearing and vision screenings are underway! Please make sure your student has their glasses with them.
With the weather getting colder please make sure your child has appropriate outdoor clothing for recess. Additionally, we have many students with very chapped lips as the weather is getting colder. Please provide chapstick for your child as needed.
If clothing is borrowed from the school health office please wash and return :)
If possible, pack a spare set of clothes in your child's backpack. Accidents happen! Students can get wet on the playground or spill on themselves at lunch. It's always helpful to have extra clothing available
~Nurse Jacqueline Campbell
Community Connections Center
This week's CCC News contains information and links for a mix of resources & fun activities. Featured this week : A Stress Free Holiday Zoom Workshop, Walnut Beach Tree Lighting and "Oh Hanukkah!", at Park City Music Hall.
Find these and more in our CCC Newsletter. Looking for other community resources, visit the CCC Website.
Seasonal Support with Toys 4 Tots for MPS Families
In partnership with Toys for Tots, the CCC is accepting toy requests for Milford Public Schools families with children ages newborn -11 yrs old. We will make every effort to obtain three toys per child.
Families can access the toy request form from 12/6 until 12/18.
The CCC will contact the families to inform them of the pick up location for their unwrapped toys.
Pick up dates and times are : Thursday 12/19/24, 2:00pm to 4:00 pm and Friday 12/20/24- 8:30 am till 1:00 pm. If a family is unable to pick up their gifts or needs to arrange an alternate pick up time not listed please email cdascenzo@milforded.org before Thursday Dec. 18, 2024.
Have a great weekend!
Mary-Kate Williams & Cara Dascenzo
Milford Community Connection Centers
203-882-6094
The CCC honors all family inquiries as private and confidential unless parent permission is given or Connecticut mandated reporting applies
JFK PTO Fall Calendar of Events
Join the JFK PTO! It’s not too late and our PTO supports so many of our wonderful school community events. Your membership matters!
We welcome and encourage everyone to join the JFK PTO. Membership is simple and in no way commits you to volunteer and/or attend meetings (although we would love to have you). Simply click the link below and submit your dues/donation. Don't forget to fill out the membership form as well. Once both steps are complete you are able to join our PTO Membership page which has all upcoming events and updates! https://john-f-kennedy-elem-pto.square.site/
Additional MPS information can be accessed through the district website at www.milforded.org.
Have a great weekend, JFK!
JFK: A Community Where
ALL
Learners SOAR!